Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Mix in milk. Fold in flour in three batches. Stir in cranberries and macadamia nuts to combine into a batter.

Transfer 1 cup of the batter to another mixing bowl. Sift in cocoa powder and stir until evenly combined.

Spoon one-third of plain batter into the Kugelhopf pan. In between, drop 3 to 4 Tbs of cocoa-flavoured batter, then top with another one-third of plain batter. Spoon the remaining cocoa batter over the top and add the rest of the plain batter. Use a satay skewer to swirl the batter to create a marble effect.

Bake for about 60 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Remove Kugelhopf pan from the oven and leave on a wire rack to cool for 5 to 10 minutes. Turn over the pan to allow the cake to drop down. Remove pan.

Banana Cake. PHOTO: THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK

2. BANANA CAKE

INGREDIENTS

80g caster sugar

60g soft brown sugar

100ml canola oil

3 eggs (B grade)

1 tsp vanilla essence

200g ripe bananas (pisang rastali)

1 tbsp lime juice

100ml fresh milk

25g walnuts, coarsely chopped (optional)

Dry ingredients – sifted together

200g plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

¼ tsp salt

METHOD

Grease and line a loaf pan (20cm x 10cm) and preheat oven to 180 deg C.

Cream both types of sugars and canola oil with an electric mixer until well combined. Beat in eggs, one at a time, and add in vanilla essence.

Mash bananas and lime juice together with a fork until soft. Stir into the egg mixture and beat over medium-low speed until evenly mixed. Beat in milk to combine.

Stir the sifted dry ingredients in batches into the wet ingredients. Cream over low speed. Fold in walnuts, if using.

Spoon batter into prepared cake pan. Bake for 70 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean.

Oats and Orange Butter Cake. PHOTO: THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK

3. OATS AND ORANGE BUTTER CAKE

INGREDIENTS

210g butter

160g caster sugar

1 Tbs grated orange rind

3 eggs (Grade B)

1 tsp vanilla essence

60ml orange juice

80g raisins

Ingredients A – combined

150g plain flour

35g quick cooking oats

1½ tsp baking powder

METHOD

Grease sides and line the base of a 21cm cake pan with parchment paper. Pre-heat oven to 160 deg C.

Place butter in the bowl of an electric mixer. Cream for 1 to 2 minutes, then add sugar and orange rind. Continue beating thoroughly for 3 to 4 minutes.

Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add in a tablespoon of the flour mixture. If mixture begins to curdle, beat in essence to mix.

Add orange juice until well combined. Fold in the rest of the combined flour and oat mixture, followed by the raisins.

Spoon batter into prepared pan. Bake for about 1 hour and 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean.

The Straits Times

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